TY  - JOUR
AB  - The production process of smooth and crack-free targets by means of constant current electrolysis in organic media, commonly known as molecular plating, was optimized. Using a Nd salt, i.e., [Nd(NO3)(3)center dot 6H(2)O], as model electrolyte several constant current density electrolysis experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of different parameters, namely the plating solvent (isopropanol and isobutanol mixed together, pyridine, and N,N-dimethylformamide), the electrolyte concentration (0.11, 0.22, 0.44 mM), the applied current density (0.17, 0.3, 0.7, and 1.3 mA/cm(2)), and the surface roughness of the deposition substrates (12 and 24 nm). Different environments (air and Ar) were used to dry the samples and the effects on the produced layers were investigated. The obtained deposits were characterized using gamma-ray spectroscopy for determining Nd deposition yields, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for chemical analysis of the produced surfaces, radiographic imaging for surface homogeneity inspection, atomic force microscopy for surface roughness evaluation, and scanning electron microscopy for surface morphology investigation. The results allowed identifying the optimum parameters for the production of smooth and crack-free targets by means of molecular plating. The smoothest layers, which had an average RMS roughness of ca. 20 nm and showed no cracks, were obtained using 0.22 mM [Nd(NO3)(3)center dot 6H(2)O] plated from N,N-dimethylformamide at current densities in the range of 0.3-0.7 mA/cm(2) on the smoothest deposition substrate available. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
DA  - 2013
DO  - 10.1016/j.nima.2013.03.003
KW  - Smooth crack-free targets
KW  - Molecular plating
KW  - Neodymium
KW  - gamma-ray
KW  - spectroscopy
KW  - Atomic force microscopy (AFM)
KW  - X-ray photoelectron
KW  - spectroscopy (XPS)
LA  - eng
M2  - 163
PY  - 2013
SN  - 0168-9002
SP  - 163-175
T2  - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A
TI  - Smooth crack-free targets for nuclear applications produced by molecular plating
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:0070-pub-29138025
Y2  - 2024-11-22T05:12:28
ER  -